Thursday, January 4, 2018

A Walk Thru History at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

A proud member of the Historic Hotels Worldwide, Conde Nast Johansens Luxury Global Collection and Peninsula Hotel’s Pencities Luxe Guide, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is the brainchild of New San Jose Builders, Inc. spearheaded by Mr. Jose Acuzar. His collection of 22 restored Spanish-Filipino mansions from various places such as Old Manila, Tuguegarao and Bulacan showcases our country's rich history and culture and is located in his vast property in Bagac, Bataan.

Las Casas offers a Walking Heritage Tour of the property for Php1,500 per person or you can upgrade it to an All-Day Tour (Php2,000 for weekdays and Php2,500 for weekends) for additional perks such as the river cruise, kalesa ride, family-style lunch and access to the majestic Hotel de Oriente. Since Bagac is located about 4 and a half hours away from home, staying the night at Las Casas seemed to be the convenient and more practical idea.

Heritage Tours are offered every hour daily from 0930H to 1630H. Since we checked in late, we decided to book the tour next day and just explore the property on our own. Tip: Wear comfortable shoes and don't forget to bring your camera because the entire place is absolutely stunning!

Our air-conditioned deluxe room, located at Estero de Binondo, is a comfortable 36sqm beachfront accommodation with a queen size bed, full granite bathroom with separate toilet, shower and tub, cable television and complimentary coffee and tea. Deluxe rooms can accommodate a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 persons with surcharge for the 2 excess persons.

While we loved our leisurely walks in Las Casas, it can get really hot especially at noon time that we had to ride the free shuttle that goes around the property every so often. Golf carts are also available for rent if you get tired of walking and wants to explore the vast property on your own pace. An hour rental fee is Php650 with Php1,500 deposit that's refundable upon returning the cart.

We got too overwhelmed with all the interesting information and chismis that we heard during the Heritage Tour that we totally failed to take videos or even a single photo! I highly recommend doing the trip and experiencing the tour on your own to learn more about our rich history and the colorful lives of the people who lived in those heritage houses. Such a unique learning experience!